"Matilda" (sometimes spelled Mathilda) is a calypso song. Some songwriting credits are given as Harry Thomas (rumoured to be a pseudonym combining Harry Belafonte and his guitarist, Millard Thomas, [1] but ASCAP simply lists Harry Thomas alias Harry Belafonte, the writer of "Hold 'Em Joe"[ citation needed ]); some credits are given as Norman Span.
"Matilda" is a song lamenting a woman who took a man for all he was worth. The song dates back to at least the 1930s, when calypso pioneer King Radio (the stage name of Norman Span) recorded the song. [2] Harry Belafonte's first recording of it in 1953 became a big hit. [3]
Belafonte originally recorded "Matilda" on April 27, 1953, and it was released as a single. He re-recorded the song for his second RCA Victor LP, Belafonte , released in 1955. The oft-repeated phrase in his rendition of "Matilda" emphasizes the syllables of the subject's name, as shown:
Belafonte often performed the song in concert, and he would encourage the audience to sing that line. An example is heard on his 1959 live album Belafonte at Carnegie Hall , where the total playing time for "Matilda" is nearly 12 minutes. [4]
Allan Sherman recorded a variation of the song in his first album, 1962's My Son, the Folk Singer , and put a Jewish-sounding spin on it, including asking portions of his audience (such as "Members of Hadassah") to sing along:
Sherman was later sued by the estate of the song's composer for not obtaining permission to perform it, because "Matilda" was protected by copyright law. Sherman paid a substantial penalty for this, as recounted in his book, A Gift of Laughter.
